Mortal: Starting the Journey
by PrehistoriCreatorNP
Summary: AU. Percy is a Clear-Sighted Mortal, has an adopted sister, learns of the divine world through meeting a man-hating Goddess, and is actually smart... kind of. Oh! and he can use a bow! I know has been used a bit, but I have trouble finding Percy is a Clear-Sighted Mortal stories with over 5k words. T, but more like T plus.
1. Surviving, Gods, Sl- wait what!

**I do not own PJO :(**

**LT-2006 Sum., SoM-2007 Sum., TC-2007/08 Win., BoTL-2008 Sum., TLO-2009 Sum.**

**ENJOY! Since Percy is mortal he gets his eyes from his mother's, sea blue.**

* * *

Percy PoV(13 yrs. old)

I was just minding my business in the woods hunting for food for myself and adoptive sister, Andrea(12 yrs.-old, She has sea-green eyes, long black hair past her shoulder blades, 4' 6" tall, tanned skin, an athletic build, has developed quickly, and likes blue. She can't shoot for her life.), but could it stay normal? Nnnooooo, of course not(Unless being threatened by a 12 year-old with a silver fetish). If you are wondering why I(A 13 year-old boy) am here in the woods, well that's a story for another time. Let me tell you the following events till now...

(Flashback)

_I quietly stalked the stag I found. I followed it to a stream of water, and hopped up onto a sturdy tree branch. I unslung my bow, knocked an arrow, and pulled the string back till it couldn't go farther. I studied when the stag's head came up from drinking, then put its head down for more. While it drank I moved my aim to where its about eye will be when it raised its head again. As it raised its head I released my arrow with a familiar _twang! _and the arrow entered the stag eye, sliding in like a new knife slicing through butter._

_I jumped down examining my prey. It was a fine specimen looking around 220 kg, and the horns would be good for arrows._

_I was broken out of my musings when I deflected an arrow aiming for an appendage between legs using my bronze dagger, __σεισμός or Earthquake in English(i was told this by my sister who can understand Greek better than English), and yelled, "What the hell! Who the fuck did that!"_

_A girl that looked about 12 hopped down from a tree branch. She had auburn hair, longer than Andrea's, and was a bit shorter than I. She had an athletic build, and was a bit more developed then my sister. Her eyes looked like two full moons, which were currently glaring at me coldly as if I offended her by living(oh how true now that I look back). She said, "Me, boy!" coldly, and venomous when she said 'boy', then started to talk again, "You stole my hunt-"_

_I cut her off saying, "if I stole it, that means I would have seen you first and you tell me it's yours, or me taking it after you killed it." in a calm diplomatic tone, with slight anger because she nearly castrated me, "and who are you to tell me to give it to you, when it is _my_ kill that _I _shot!" i added emphasizing 'my', and 'I'._

(Flashback end)  
A/N right after flashback

She leveled the bow at my chest and said glaring, "Well boy, I am Artemis goddess of-"

I started to laugh hard, she looked at me with a look demanding why I was laughing, and I decided to answer with a smirk, "You *laugh* are so *gasp* damn arrogant! *laugh*" before she could retort, I explained in a critical way, "You first *gasp* think you could claim my kill *laugh* then you claim you are a god!"

"Maybe because I am goddess of the Moon, Hunt, Chastity, Childbirth, Archery, and Patron of Maidens," She said with a serious tone with a hint of malice.

A few things in my mind popped up. My last Latin teacher Mr. Brunner telling me that mine and my sister's life will depend on knowing mythology, monstrous beasts that could only be killed by the bronze metal my sword is made of, and the details on Artemis(That she loved to harm males with castration), and Greek Mythology. It all clicked together, Greek Mythology wasn't Mythology, it was real. I took a step back and said, "You aren't joking are you? Greek Mythology is real isn't it."

She cursed in a Greek I think, then snapped. a gust of air came then she said, "You were out hunting and you never saw me."

"Yeah! Totally didn't see you at all, or a Goddess!" I exclaimed, my tone, flooding with sarcasm.

"If it didn't work you must die, which would be my pleasure."

"Why!?" I questioned anxiously, summoning my other dagger(I found those in my moms emergency supplies, this one called Τυφώνας or Hurricane in English).

"Because mortals can't know about the divine world and the Mist did not work!" She answered as she knocked an arrow.

An idea came to mind, a stupid one but it should work. The Styx was the River of Oaths... "I swear on the Styx I won't tell anyone who hasn't encountered the divine world that it is real!" I said quickly. Thunder boomed, so I think it worked.

"Yes, but knowing you _males _are deceitful, you will probably get another male that knows to do it!" She snarled, "any last words?"

"Let my adoptive sister join you, she can see through the Mist too. She is at my campsite, so you can follow my trail. Her name is Andrea, though let her settle in before you tell her, or tell her a monster killed me."

I shut my eyes as a bright light illuminated the forest.

* * *

(Artemis PoV)

This day was odd. Today hunting, I encountered a _boy _who looked a year older than my current form. He was a clear-sighted mortal. Okay, sure he did kill it, but it was _mine. _He seemed like most males at the beginning, but at the end he was nice, loving, and loyal. Everything a _male_ should _not be_.

Just then right as I released the arrow an immortal flashed in, he said, "Is this how you greet your uncle?"

* * *

(Percy PoV)

As I opened my eyes I saw a 6' 0" man in a Hawaiian Shirt, and khaki shorts holding a trident and an arrow saying to Artemis, "Is this how you greet your uncle?"

So he was Poseidon, God of the Sea. I asked as politely as possible, "Umm... Lord Poseidon, what are you exactly doing here?"

He turned to me with sea green eyes and a raised eyebrow, "to save you from my niece." He turned back to Artemis, "You know he must first challenge you before you can kill him?"

Before anyone else could say another thing I said, "Thanks and all, but why would you want to save me? What have I done?"

He turned back to me and lowered himself, looking me in the eye, "You have kept my daughter alive, and for that I am indebted to you."

I was stunned, Andrea was the daughter of Poseidon, and Poseidon is indebted to me. "Andrea is your daughter?"

"Yes."

Artemis decided to rejoin the conversation, "Poseidon you broke the oath!" She yelled.

"Yes." He looked down shamefully.

I decided not to ask what oath, and changed the subject, "Um, can I get the stag now, It won't stay fresh forever!" I was walking towards the stag while I said this.

However, Artemis noticed, and in a blur appeared in front of me before I could reach the stag. "I have already told you this _boy_! This is my hunt!" She hissed ragefully. I looked at Poseidon, who just looked amused.

I countered in a calm voice, "and I have told you it was also my hunt, _I _killed it, and you almost castrated me. I never saw you, you never claimed it for yourself, and if you are truly the Goddess of the hunt, you can hunt another." I preyed on the insecurity of her pride at the end to let it go.

She muttered something about stupid fucking males, flipped me off, shot an arrow near me, a blunt one to the balls, and left. The arrow release a terrible smelling gas, that dissipated thanks to Poseidon, and so did the pain.

"She has always been a sore loser." He chuckled mirthfully.

"Not surprise," I commented. There was a pregnant pause, then I remembered earlier in the conversation Poseidon said something about being indebted to me, "Poseidon what does a god being indebted to a mortal mean?"

Poseidon answered, "It means that said god will do any favors for the mortal, until the debt is repaid, or released."

I thought about it. What could I ask for? Maybe more information on the divine world, and aquatic creatures and maybe a lot more... "First can you carry the stag to my campsite, and we'll keep talking from there."

He picked the stag up and handed me my arrow. We then started walking with me leading. "What else do you want?" Poseidon asked.

"Well some info on the divine world, but you don't exclude any information on Kronos, major stuff, or any restrictions Gods have, oh and all creatures/Monsters." I said.

Poseidon said, "I will give it all to you mentally." As he said that a rush of information flooded my brain making me stop to process it all.

After I was able to form coherent words I commented, "That was... interesting."

Poseidon chuckled and asked, "Anything else?"

"Can you bless me?" I asked. He nodded, and put his hand on my shoulder and spoke words older than Ancient Greek, or humanity for that matter. I instantly felt power course through me, and a connection to water. "Can you also make me fluent in all of your known languages, even that ancient one you used to bless me."

"Ah. So you picked up on the oldest language, Elder Tongue most do not. Yes I can give you all of the languages I know, but not the oldest language, you will only understand it, but not read, write, or say it, you have to learn that." He mentally transferred it all to me with all information on the Elder Tongue. Once again, the information flooded my nervous system, but this time I was ready.

"Can you bless my weapons? My quiver to have infinite arrows, my arrows to be able to harm both mortal and immortal, my bow to have a metal tip on each end one celestial bronze the other a steel and tungsten tip, change length and power, and can channel my powers to enhance itself. My hunting daggers to harm both mortal and immortal, liquidize, and elongate. Plus, a trident that can do the same as my daggers. Make all of them unbreakable, please." he sighed and did the same process to my weapons, as he did to me. He then handed me a trident. It was a silver metal with a black leather grip. My daggers had the same metal and leather on it. All my arrows too had the metal, and my bow and quiver had the leather. My bow other than the leather was the same, but was the same silver as my daggers. After I was done analyzing my stuff, I gratefully said, "Thank You!"

"Well I was indebted to you." Poseidon said humbly.

"I release you from your debt." I said. It just felt natural. Thunder boomed again from me saying that.

"Goodbye for now. Also, don't tell anyone other than Andrea that she is my daughter, also wield those weapons with honor!" then I closed my eyes as he flashed away leaving behind a sea breeze, and a sea-green and silver ring with Παλιρροϊκό κύμα or Tidal Wave inscribed on it with a note for Andrea in my hand.

When I walked into the campsite hauling the stag with my right arm, and the ring and note in the other. When I came into the encampment Andrea came out of the tent. Holding two Hellhound fangs, but put them back when she saw me. I set the stag down

"That should last us for weeks!" She exclaimed as she saw the stag, but looked at me noticing something was wrong.

_How am I going to tell her. I know I can because she has encountered the hellhound, but like how am I going to execute the informing. It's not what, or when, but how to tell her? Well here goes nothing. _"Look Andy, Greek Mythology is not Mythology, it's Fact. As you _should _know the Gods tend to... sleep around, and you are a product of that," I said slowly, letting her take it all in.

"Are you joking?" Andrea asked nervously, biting dead skin on her lips.

"No."

* * *

**That's that! Well this time I am actually having fun. Might be Pertemis, might be something else. Also I made Percy get all this info, weapons, and powers because I want him to not be too dumb, and i want him to be OP, but also have his water powers because that's a major part of him through the books. I know this probably sucks.**


	2. Mr Manticore

**∞ Ω Δ I know ****I do not own PJO, or HOO, etc. or really anything, only plot. Sad Face :(  
**

* * *

Andrea PoV

"No," Was all Percy said in a dead serious tone, and with that I started to feel queasy, wanting to not believe him. Although, no matter how much I wanted to believe it was a lie, I new he wasn't lying. That was why we mythical beasts that should not be real attacked us. But why?

"Andrea," Percy said with a commanding voice, "listen to me. You are a demigod, more specifically a daughter of Poseidon." Before I could ask how he knew, or why Poseidon didn't raise me, he started to speak again, this time in a softer voice, "before you ask, I was saved from an immortal by Poseidon, and no I won't say who," he said, effectively shutting down my questions, "He blessed me, and told me to teach you about the divine world. He also left this for you," He gave me a silver ring and note. The silver ring was inscribed with Παλιρροϊκό κύμα or Tidal Wave in Greek I somehow translated. The note said _'To Andrea, my daughter. Put on the ring, and imagine summoning a sword, after to turn it back imagine it as a ring. From, Your father Poseidon.' _thankfully this was all in Greek, so I could read it.

I put on the ring and thought of summoning a sword. Suddenly the ring turned into a silver liquid and expanded forming into a silver sword. The blade was a silver that radiated light with black linings that seemed to absorb light around it. The blade was a diamond/oval-like shape, about 18 in./46 cm. long, and looked about 5 in./15 cm long at its widest. The guard was oval shaped when you had the pommel at your eye, and its longest was aligned with the blades widest, its widest 5 cm./about 1.875 in., and about 0.375 in./about 1 cm, and was made of the same silver metal as the blade. The hilt looked about 4.75 in./ 12 cm. long, long enough for both hands for power attacks, but mainly for 1 hand and about 1 in./3 cm. in diameter, it was wrapped in black leather. The pommel was round, a little wider than the hilt looked about 4 cm./ 1.5 in. long, and was a silver metal, not like the blade and guard, but more normal. I noticed an aqua colored gem that glowed with power on the blade, and Παλιρροϊκό κύμα inscribed on the blade. As I analyzed the sword I muttered, "Whoa," in awe.

"If you are done staring at your sword, can we keep talking?" Percy said, breaking me out of my own world. He continued, "If you are bitter about your father for leaving you,-" I was still angry that he left, and wondered why he left- "he couldn't interact with you at all until you knew of your parentage, and even then, he couldn't directly interact unless given permission, challenged, or after a quest."

"Why?" I asked. Why did he need permission?

"Because there are laws full immortals must follow. Some are not bound by the Ancient Laws as much as others like Artemis, or even the Original 12 Titans," I noticed that every time he said an immortal's name thunder boomed distantly, but decided to ignore it.

"Why not the 12 Titans?" I questioned. They were immortals too.

"Because Zeus made some of the stupid laws, such as not being allowed to interfere with their children, even though he does all the time and pampers them, or just ignores them," He explained, with a hint of contempt in his voice.

"Okay... Then why isn't Artemis as bound by the Ancient Laws?" I asked next.

"Well that's because of her domains. She is the goddess/patron of maidens, so she can help them due to them being under her protection, she is goddess of the hunt, so she can attack monsters even when they are fighting a mortal."

"Oh," My oh so smart response was.

Percy just snickered, and said, "Go to sleep now. In the morning we will start going to Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

Time Skip to Dec. 14th, 10:25 p.m.

Percy PoV(Now about 5' 6")

I was about to go to sleep when a bright flash lit up the tent, and I closed my eyes just in time. I opened my eyes to find Poseidon standing at the entrance of the tent. "Poseidon why are you here?" I asked tiredly.

"Well, Hades knows of you two, and requested that I send you to pick up his children, his daughter and son. He used the request as a favor for me to pay off for less monster attacks near you, and some Stygian Iron I got from him."

"Okay, but why now?"

"Well, he doesn't want them to go to camp because they'll be discriminated by the campers because some are going to pick them up, but Kronos is also trying to recruit them, and he doesn't want that. They also might be killed by Zeus when they are claimed," Poseidon explained, "The hunters are also going there because they have tracked the Manticore there. If his daughter, Bianca can be in the Hunt she'll be safe, but he wants you to keep Nico, his son safe and keep him good. Grudges are the fatal flaws of Children of Hades."

"Should I bring Andrea?" She has gotten better with the sword over the past weeks.

"Sure, just don't let her get too hurt."

I smiled and said, "She can't help it."

"Good luck with the Hunter, you will have 5 min. before I teleport you near them, concealed. Also, the sword she has helps conceal her aura, you'll need it for stealth." With that he flashed out, leaving behind two coffees with names on them.

I immediately went to pick them up, and wake Andrea up as quickly as possible. I exited my tent, and entered Andrea's. Andrea was in her sleeping bag, drooling. I silently walked right next to her head, crouched, and put my head right next to her ear and yelled, "WAKE UP!"

Andrea instinctively summoned her sword, and swung at me, I didn't move and the blade passed right through me. By now Andrea was up, looking tired, her eyes droopy and flipped me off. "Why'd ya wake me up?" She asked sleepily, trying her best to glare at me.

"Poseidon owes Hades, and Hades asked for his children to be picked up/ Protected. We have about four minutes to get ready," I explained giving her, her coffee.

I got my quiver, bow, Trident pendant that hung on my necklace made of dried animal tendons, bag made of skins(enchanted to fit 10 times more than its size from Poseidon(He kind of spoils Andrea and I)), and cloak made of pelts. Once I had all my stuff, I downed my coffee, which was pure black, no sugar or sweetener. Just pure coffee. Once I was done with my coffee, I walked out of my tent with my cloak on, quiver strapped to my back, my bag with all my Spoils. Andrea came out of her tent, right after me with her stuff. 5 seconds later we were teleported behind a bush in the snow.

"Yield little heroes!" The monster, which at better angle I saw it was the Manticore.

"The Manticore," I breathed. When I looked at the fight I saw a girl with spiky black hair with a bronze spear crackling with electricity, Zeus's. I started to silently run with Andrea following me. There was also a blonde haired kid with the same electric blue eyes with a bronze harpe, a satyr, and a blonde haired girl. The black haired girl looked the oldest, and the blonde boy, the youngest. They were trapped between the Manticore and a Helicopter. Just when I thought they had no chance, a hunting horn sounded, piercing the air.

"No," the Manticore said dramatically, "It cannot be-"

Though he was cut off when a silver arrow sprouted from his shoulder that I remember all too well. Artemis was here, and with her hunters.


	3. Hunters, and Artemis sadly

**∞ Ω Δ ****I only own some of the altered plot, Rick Riordan owns the rest.**

* * *

Percy PoV

The oldest hunter looked around my age, and the youngest about 10. They all wore the same silver ski parkas and jeans, which I feel would restrict them. The oldest stuck out because she wore a silver circlet. The oldest had copper skin, was tall, and graceful with volcanic black eyes, and due to the circlet she looked like a Persian princess. She looked beautiful, but damn my hormonal teen mind.

The blonde girl cried, "The Hunters!'

"Oh wonderful," the punk looking girl said corrosively. She seemed to have a bad history with the Hunt...

The blonde boy muttered, "What are a bunch of girls gonna do?"

Oh, he is so lucky Artemis didn't here him, or any hunters for that matter, the lucky arrogant bastard, I thought.

"Permission to kill, my lady?"

I couldn't tell who she was talking to by sight, because she kept her eyes on the manticore, but knew it was Artemis.

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

"Not so," Artemis said. She was in her usual 12-13 year old form. She had her auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and her expression was looking stern, and murderous. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast." She looked at the older girl with the circlet. "Zoe, permission granted."

The manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!"

He was about to lunge at the punk girl and the blonde boy, but before he could lunge I shot arrows relentlessly. When one hit him it was followed by more, which he blocked, and when he couldn't find me he turned back. Though it barely slowed him down, as he turned, the arrows didn't seem to affect him that much, other than annoy him. The two campers were on their feet now with the blonde girl. They were still dazed, and so the Manticore lunged at the campers making the Hunters stop their fire, The Blonde girl screamed, "No!" and pushed the two other campers away. The manticore grabbed her, and held her like a shield. Slowly backing up to the cliff. Andrea already had the two Hades children, so might as well attack... though probably don't have much chance.

I summoned my trident, and threw it as hard as possible into the manticore's back, making him hiss in his pain. I summoned the trident back, he turned and saw me but the Hunters pelted him with arrows, and the manticore knew he was surrounded, and said in his french accent, "This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!"

The punk looking girl yelled, "NO!" as the manticore jumped off the cliff with the blonde girl. She tried to run after them, but there was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter—the sound of gunfire.

Most of the Hunters scattered as tiny holes appeared in the snow at their feet, but Artemis just looked up calmly with some distaste at the helicopter.

"Mortals," she announced, "are not allowed to witness my hunt."

Artemis thrust out her hand, and turned the helicopter, and those in it into a flock of ravens that scattered into the night sky.

The Hunters walked toward the demigods, Andrea, and I. I was retreating back into the forest, but Artemis looked at me with contempt-probably from our last encounter-and I knew I might as well come out with Andrea, and the two children of Hades.

The one called Zoe stopped short when she saw the punk girl. "You," she said with distaste.

"Zoe Nightshade." the punk girl said, her voice trembled with hatred. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Zoe scanned all of us when the two Hades children, Andrea and I came out. "five half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," Artemis said. "Some of Chiron's campers mostly, I see. Except the _male _attacked the manticore, and the three demigods with him. The _male _is a clear-sighted mortal, the girl a demigod, and the two other demigods were to be picked up from here."

"Annabeth!" the blonde boy yelled. "You have to let us save her!"

Artemis turned toward the blonde boy. "I'm sorry, _Alexander_, but your friend is beyond help." she said his name with such distaste, almost more than when she speaks about me.

He tried to struggle to his feet, but a couple of the hunters held him down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," Artemis said.

"Let me go!" Alexander demanded. "Who do you think you are?" Oh, he is so dead.

Zoe stepped forward as if to smack him.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand, but still by all means if he is rude, teach him his place."

Artemis looked at him, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon. "I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

"No duh," I muttered under my breath. While Alexander said something my sister would say, "Um... okay."

Of course Zoe, and Artemis had to hear, their heads snapped towards me, "Why are you here, _Percy Jackson_?" Artemis interrogated.

Shit, what to say? Though before anything else could be said, Andrea asked, "Wait Percy you know her?"

"Yeah, I wish I didn't," I said, then whispered, "That's the immortal Poseidon saved me from. She can be a sore loser."

"I heard that!" Artemis said angrily, and shot a blunt arrow to my stomach, which knocked the air out of me.

"See what I mean?" I wheezed out.

Though Alexander's reaction, or Artemis's greeting for me was nothing compared to the Satyr's reactiom. He gasped, then knelt hastily in the snow and started yammering, "Thank you, Lady Artemis! You're so… you're so… Wow!"

"Get up, goat boy!" the punk girl snapped. "We have other things to worry about. Annabeth is gone!" So that's the blonde girl...

"Whoa," Bianca di Angelo said. "Hold up. Time out."

Everybody looked at her. She pointed her finger at all of us in turn, like she was trying to connect the dots. "Who… who are you people?"

Artemis's expression softened."It might be a better question, my dear girl, to ask who are you! Who are your parents?"

"Wait," I said, "Let me guess, your orphaned because both parents died, or so you've been told."

Bianca glanced nervously at her brother, who was still staring in awe at Artemis.

"Pretty much," she said meekly, clearly disturbed about my guess, "There's a bank trust that pay's for our school..."

She stopped, probably because she noticed seemed to believe her.

"What!" She demanded, "I'm telling the truth."

I decided to intervene, "Well, you are telling what you _think _is the truth. However, you are a half-blood. The offspring of a mortal and immortal."

Artemis agreed with me, albeit grudgingly.

"Cool!" said Nico.

"No!" Bianca's voice quavered. "This is not cool!"

Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts that do six hundred damage? Does he get extra movement points for—"

"Nico, shut up!" Bianca put her hands to her face. "This is not your stupid Mythomagic game, okay? There are no gods!"

I was laughing, but when she stated she didn't believe us, I stopped and took a breath, "Look, the gods don't like being called fake. I'm sure you saw the punk girl summon lightning, well that's because she is a daughter of Zeus."

"I am not the 'Punk Girl'!" The punk girl protested causing there to be a faint smell of ozone. She's angry, and I don't like lightning.

"Then who are you?" I asked calmly.

"Thalia Grace, not the 'Punk Girl'!"

"Okay, anyways Bianca, if she wasn't the daughter of Zeus could she do that?" it was a rhetorical question, "No. If magic was not real or the gods could I summon my trident? Could the manticore be real? No. It's much easier to just accept it because the gods just make things more complicated, and not knowing about it as a Half-blood makes it even worse."

Thalia added to that, "It makes our lives dangerous."

"Like the girl who fell?" Bianca said.

Thalia flinched, and even Artemis looked pained, well Annabeth was a girl, and maiden probably.

"Do not despair for Annabeth," the goddess said. "She was a brave maiden. If she can be found, I shall find her."

"Then why won't you let us go look for her?" Alexander asked.

"Idiot," I muttered, he glared at me murderously I responded with a shit-eating grin, "The manticore disappeared with Annabeth, if they didn't disappear the Hunters would still be attacking it, Artemis would sense their presence, we wouldn't be having this conversation, and I would happily not see Artemis, the goddess always on her period again."

"I would be just fine never seeing your disgusting face, and did your mother ever tell you not to talk about a woman's period?!" Artemis retorted.

I flinched at the second part, "At least you have one," I muttered so lowly nobody could hear me, then yelled back, "I wonder why anyone would want to associate themselves with you!"

This enraged Artemis even more, the hunters, and the Satyr all looked offended, "Why would anyone even slightly care about you? I know I would never!"

I just laughed. "If you didn't care about me, then you would never be angry with me to begin with, and we wouldn't argue like this," I said this in a calm voice, which served to enrage Artemis even more.

"Disgusting pig!" She insulted.

"Arrogant goddess!" I retorted.

"Bastard!"

"Bitch!" Almost everyone gasped at this, the tension was so thick you couldn't cut it with the sharpest blade. Artemis's eyes glowed dangerously.

We glared at each other murderously, locking eyes, and eventually someone spoke up, "I will set up camp milady," Zoe said nervously, and shot an arrow at me, which I barely blocked with my dagger, then changed my dagger back.

We eventually broke the stare, and I asked, "Can we at least try to get along!?"

"Maybe." she said with malice still in her voice, and walked off.

"Why do the Fates hate me!" I muttered, and walked towards Thalia, as she seemed to be distraught. I don't know where Andrea was though, probably with the hunters.

"What do you want?" Thalia asked bitterly, wiping tears off her face.

"I just wanted to talk," I softly said.

"About what?!" She asked.

"What exactly is your history with the Hunters?" I asked.

"What's yours with Artemis?" She countered angrily

"I'll tell you after you tell me yours with the hunters," I said evenly.

"Fine," she said, "Before I came to camp, I was traveling with Annabeth and a boy. The hunters wanted to recruit us, and I said no, and so did Annabeth because then we'd have to leave our other friend-the boy- then Zoe said that he would betray us."

I was shocked, I didn't think she would trust me with that much information, but she kept some things private, which was not surprising. "Okay, mine is I hunted a stag, but so was Artemis, and she accused me of stealing her hunt, when i got the kill, Poseidon intervened, and Artemis being a sore loser shot a rubber arrow at a certain appendage, and also shot a arrow that released a nauseous gas."

Just then, Zoe Nightshade came in, and said in her old/mid-English accent, "Milady wishes to speak with thee," with contempt, and glared at Thalia for a second.

Zoe led me to the last tent, which looked no different from the others, and waved me inside. Bianca di Angelo was seated next to Artemis.

The inside of the tent was warm and comfortable. Silk rugs and pillows covered the floor. In the center, a golden brazier of fire seemed to burn without fuel or smoke. Behind the goddess, on a polished oak display stand, was her huge silver bow, carved to resemble gazelle horns. The walls were hung with animal pelts: black bear, tiger, and several others I didn't recognize. I figured an animal rights activist would've had a heart attack looking at all those rare skins, but since Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, she could replenish whatever she shot. I a deer with glittering fur and silver horns, had its head resting contentedly in Artemis's lap.

"Join us, Percy Jackson," Artemis said as calm as possible, trying not to blow up like she did when we argued.

I sat across from her on the tent floor. The goddess studied me, which made me uncomfortable, she never had before.

"Why do you always appear as a 12-13 year-old girl?" I asked. It was odd, most prefer being 18+, except Hestia, and Artemis, "I know you could be anything, but why this age?"

"This is what I prefer. This is the average age of my Hunters, and all young maidens for whom I am patron, before they go astray."

Zoe glared at me for no reason- except probably being male.

"Forgive my hunters if they are not welcoming, they are uncomfortable around boys since we rarely came in contact with them. The last one was..." She looked at Zoe, "Which one?"

"That boy in Colorado," Zoe said. "You turned him into a jackalope."

"Ah, yes." Artemis nodded, satisfied. "I enjoy making jackalopes. At any rate, _Percy_, I've asked you here so that you might tell me more of the manticore. Bianca has reported some of the… mmm, disturbing things the monster said. But she may not have understood them. I'd like to hear them from you."

"I only came when the demigods were trapped between the manticore and helicopter, but Poseidon has informed me about rumors saying the General is free, and something about the 'Great Stirring', and something about the Bane of Olympus."

When I was done, Artemis put her hand thoughtfully on her silver bow. "I feared this was the answer."

Zoe sat forward. "The scent, my lady?"

"Yes."

"What scent?" I asked.

"Things are stirring that I have not hunted in millennia," Artemis murmured. "Prey so old I have nearly forgotten."

She stared at me intently. "We came here tonight sensing the manticore, but he was not the one I seek. What again have you heard?"

"The Great Stirring is happening whatever that is, the Bane of Olympus has resurrected, and the General is apparently free from his burden," At the last part Zoe paled, I'll have to ask later about that.

Artemis shook her head. "I've been too slow to see the signs. I must hunt this monster."

Zoe looked like she was trying very hard not to be afraid, but she nodded. "We will leave right away, my lady."

"No, Zoe. I must do this alone."

"But, Artemis—"

"This task is too dangerous even for the Hunters. You know where I must start my search. You cannot go there with me."

"As… as you wish, my lady."

"I will find this creature," Artemis vowed. "And I shall bring it back to Olympus by winter solstice. It will be all the proof I need to convince the Council of the Gods of how much danger we are in."

"You know what the monster is?" I asked.

Artemis gripped her bow. "Let us pray I am wrong."

"Can goddesses pray?" I asked, because I'd never really thought about it, buy maybe to the Protegenoi and Chaos.

A flicker of a smile played across Artemis's lips, the closest I've ever seen to one at least. "Before I go, Percy Jackson, I have a small task for you."

"Does it involve getting turned into a jackalope?" What? It was a valid question with my relationship with Artemis.

"Sadly, no. I want you to escort the Hunters back to Camp Half-Blood. They can stay there in safety until I return." I looked at her incredulously. Escort the Hunters/ the banes of males.

"What?" Zoe blurted out. "But, Artemis, we hate that place. The last time we stayed there—"

"Yes, I know," Artemis said. "But I'm sure Dionysus will not hold a grudge just because of a little, ah, misunderstanding. It's your right to use Cabin Eight whenever you are in need. Besides, I hear they rebuilt the cabins you burned down."

Zoe muttered something about foolish campers.

"And now there is one last decision to make." Artemis turned to Bianca. "Have you made up your mind, my girl?"

Bianca hesitated. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Wait," I said. "Thinking about what?"

"They… they've invited me to join the Hunt."

"Go ahead, and join them, but if you do your brother might be a bit bitter with you, I'll try to get him to see reason, and the good parts of you joining the Hunt."

"I'll join."

"I thought thee hated Artemis?" Zoe said.

"I just dislike Artemis, but I don't dislike the Hunt."

"You are dismissed, I suggest you get sleep, Apollo is picking you up." Zoe started cursing when she said that.

"Yeah, and I am on caffeine." I said as I walked out. This is going to be a long week.

* * *

**Please give constructive criticism. What do you think? Percy can be paired with anyone, but this will _not_ be Pertemis, Perdite, or Percabeth.**


	4. Ride of Doom

**I only own OCs, and some original plot. ****∞ Ω Δ **

* * *

Percy PoV

When I got out Thalia came up to me and the Satyr who I found out was named Grover, who asked what happened.

When I told them, Grover turned pale. "The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted. "It's all Zoe's fault. That stuck-up, no good—"

"Who can blame her?" Grover said. "Eternity with Artemis?" He heaved a big sigh.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

"But she's so… into nature," Grover swooned.

"You're nuts," said Thalia.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

"Actually it was not Zoe's fault, I convinced her-" I was cut off by Thalia.

"WHY LET HER EVEN, OR ENCOURAGE HER!?" Thalia yelled at me, which everyone else paid no heed, except Andrea who came over.

"Well because of her parentage, in the Hunt she would be protected from Zeus's paranoia."

"Who is their godly parent?" Thalia probed.

"Swear on the Styx you won't inform anyone who doesn't already know first," I said.

"I swear," they both said.

"Well it's Hades," Andrea said.

"Hades broke the oath too?" Grover asked.

"No, in fact ironically he was forced into the oath, and was able to keep it, the oath and his pants on. They were both put in the Lotus Casino and Hotel," I explained.

Finally the sky began to lighten. Artemis muttered, "About time. He's so-o-o lazy during the winter."

There was a sudden burst of light on the horizon. A blast of warmth.

"Don't look," Artemis advised. "Not until he parks."

I averted my eyes, and saw that the others were doing the same. The light and warmth intensified until my cloak felt like it was melting off of me. Then suddenly the light died.

I looked. And I couldn't believe it. It was my car. Well, the car I wanted, anyway. A red convertible Maserati Spyder. It was so awesome it glowed. Then I realized it was glowing because the metal was hot. The snow had melted around the Maserati in a perfect circle, which explained why I was now standing on green grass and my shoes were wet.

The driver got out, smiling. He looked about seventeen or eighteen. This guy-Apollo-had sandy hair and outdoorsy good looks. His smile was brighter and more playful. The Apollo wore jeans and loafers and a sleeveless T-shirt.

"Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo is hot."

"He's the sun god," Andrea said.

"That's not what I meant." Thalia started to redden, and I couldn't help but chuckle, which she miserably glared at me.

"Little sister!" Apollo called. If his teeth were any whiter he could've blinded us without the sun car. "What's up? You never call. You never write. I was getting worried!"

Artemis sighed. "I'm fine, Apollo. And I am not your little sister."

"Hey, I was born first."

"We're twins! How many millennia do we have to argue—"

"So what's up?" he interrupted. "Got the girls with you, I see. You all need some tips on archery?"

Artemis grit her teeth. "I need a favor. I have some hunting to do, alone. I need you to take my companions to Camp Half-Blood."

"Sure, sis!" Then he raised his hands in a stop everything gesture. "I feel a haiku coming on."

The Hunters all groaned. Apparently they'd met Apollo before, not too surprising.

He cleared his throat and held up one hand dramatically.

"Green grass breaks through snow.

Artemis pleads for my help.

I am so cool."

He grinned at us, waiting for applause.

"That last line was only four syllables," Artemis said.

Apollo frowned. "Was it?"

"Yes. What about I am so big-headed?"

"No, no, that's six syllables. Hmm." He started muttering to himself.

Zoe Nightshade turned to us. "Lord Apollo has been going through this haiku phase ever since he visited Japan. 'Tis not as bad as the time he visited Limerick. If I'd had to hear one more-"

"I've got one for him. How about I am a dumbass? That's five now change the car into a bus or something to fit us all, and let's fucking go to camp now!" I snapped.

"That should do. So you want me to bring your Hunters to camp sis? With the demigods and mortal too?" Apollo asked.

"Yes, the demigods too."

He took out his car keys and beeped the security alarm button. Chirp, chirp.

For a moment, the car glowed brightly again. When the glare died, the Maserati had been replaced by one of those Turtle Top shuttle buses like we used for school basketball games.

"Right," he said. "Everybody in."

Zoe ordered the Hunters to start loading. She picked up her camping pack, and Apollo said, "Here, sweetheart. Let me get that."

Zoe recoiled. Her eyes flashed murderously.

"Brother," Artemis chided. "You do not help my Hunters. You do not look at, talk to, or flirt with my Hunters. And you do not call them sweetheart."

Apollo spread his hands. "Sorry. I forgot. Hey, sis, where are you off to, anyway?"

"Hunting," Artemis said. "It's none of your business."

"I'll find out. I see all. Know all."

Artemis snorted. "Just drop them off, Apollo. And no messing around!"

"No, no! I never mess around."

Artemis rolled her eyes, then looked at us. "I will see you by winter solstice. Zoe, you are in charge of the Hunters. Do well. Do as I would do."

Zoe straightened. "Yes, my lady."

Artemis knelt and touched the ground as if looking for tracks. When she rose, she looked troubled. "So much danger. The beast must be found."

She sprinted toward the woods and melted into the snow and shadows.

Apollo turned and grinned, jangling the car keys on his finger. "So," he said. "Who wants to drive?"

The Hunters piled into the van. They all crammed into the back so they'd be as far away as possible from Apollo and the rest of us highly infectious males, Bianca sat with them, leaving her little brother to hang in the front with the demigods, Andrea, and I, which seemed a little cold to me, but Nico didn't seem to mind.

"This is so cool!" Nico said, jumping up and down in the driver's seat. "Is this really the sun? I thought Helios and Selene were the sun and moon gods. How come sometimes it's them and sometimes it's you and Artemis?"

"Downsizing," Apollo said. "The Romans started it. They couldn't afford all those temple sacrifices, so they laid off Helios and Selene and folded their duties into our job descriptions. My sis got the moon. I got the sun. It was pretty annoying at first, but at least I got this cool car."

"But how does it work?" Nico asked. "I thought the sun was a big fiery ball of gas!"

Apollo chuckled and ruffled Nico's hair. "That rumor probably got started because Artemis used to call me a big fiery ball of gas. Seriously, kid, it depends on whether you're talking astronomy or philosophy. You want to talk astronomy? Bah, what fun is that? You want to talk about how humans think about the sun? Ah, now that's more interesting. They've got a lot riding on the sun… er, so to speak. It keeps them warm, grows their crops, powers engines, makes everything look, well, sunnier. This chariot is built out of human dreams about the sun, kid. It's as old as Western Civilization. Every day, it drives across the sky from east to west, lighting up all those puny little mortal lives. The chariot is a manifestation of the sun's power, the way mortals perceive it. Make sense?"

Nico shook his head. "No."

"Well then, just think of it as a really powerful, really dangerous solar car."

"Can I drive?"

"No. Too young."

"Oo! Oo!" Grover raised his hand.

"Mm, no," Apollo said. "Too furry." He looked past me(I sat with Nico) and focused on Thalia.

"Daughter of Zeus!" he said. "Lord of the sky. Perfect."

"Oh, no." Thalia shook her head. "No, thanks."

"C'mon," Apollo said. "How old are you?"

Thalia hesitated. "I don't know."

I looked at her, and sighed, how does she not know? "I'm guessing 15-16," I said, what I know how to analyze.

"Your close," He said, "You are 15 turning 16 in around a week."

"My birthday! December 22."

"Which means you're old enough now to drive with a learner's permit!"

Thalia shifted her feet nervously. "Uh—"

"I know what you're going to say," Apollo said. "You don't deserve an honor like driving the sun chariot."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"Don't sweat it! Maine to Long Island is a really short trip, and don't worry about what happened to the last kid I trained. You're Zeus's daughter. He's not going to blast you out of the sky."

Apollo laughed good-naturedly. The rest of us didn't join him.

Thalia tried to protest, but Apollo was absolutely not going to take "no" for an answer. He hit a button on the dashboard, and a sign popped up along the top of the windshield. I had to read it backward (which, for a dyslexic, really isn't that different than reading forward). I was pretty sure it said WARNING: STUDENT DRIVER.

"Take it away!" Apollo told Thalia. "You're gonna be a natural!"

I'll admit I was jealous. I couldn't wait to start driving. A couple of times that fall, my mom had taken me out to Montauk when the beach road was empty, and she'd let me try out her Mazda. I mean, yeah, that was a Japanese compact, and this was the sun chariot, but how different could it be?

"Speed equals heat," Apollo advised. "So start slowly, and make sure you've got good altitude before you really open her up."

Thalia gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she said shakily. "N-nothing is wrong."

She pulled back on the wheel. It tilted, and the bus lurched upward so fast I fell back and crashed against something soft.

"Ow" Grover said.

"Sorry."

"Slower!" Apollo said.

"Sorry!" Thalia said. "I've got it under control!"

I managed to get to my feet. Looking out the window, I saw a smoking ring of trees from the clearing where we'd taken off.

"Thalia," I said, "lighten up on the accelerator."

"I've got it, Percy," she said, gritting her teeth. But she kept it floored.

"Loosen up," I told her.

"I'm loose!" Thalia said. She was so stiff she looked like she was made out of plywood.

"We need to veer south for Long Island," Apollo said. "Hang a left."

Thalia jerked the wheel and again threw me into Grover, who yelped.

"The other left," Apollo suggested.

I made the mistake of looking out the window again. We were at airplane height now—so high the sky was starting to look black.

"Ah…" Apollo said, and I got the feeling he was forcing himself to sound calm. "A little lower, sweetheart. Cape Cod is freezing over."

Thalia tilted the wheel. Her face was chalk white, her forehead beaded with sweat. Something was definitely wrong. I'd never seen her like this.

The bus pitched down and somebody screamed. Maybe it was me. Now we were heading straight toward the Atlantic Ocean at a thousand miles an hour, the New England coastline off to our right. And it was getting hot in the bus.

Apollo had been thrown somewhere in the back of the bus, but he started climbing up the rows of seats.

"Take the wheel!" Grover begged him.

"No worries," Apollo said. He looked plenty worried. "She just has to learn to—WHOA!"

I saw what he was seeing. Down below us was a little snow-covered New England town. At least, it used to be snow-covered. As I watched, the snow melted off the trees and the roofs and the lawns. The white steeple on a church turned brown and started to smolder. Little plumes of smoke, like birthday candles, were popping up all over the town. Trees and rooftops were catching fire.

"Pull the fuck up!" I yelled.

There was a wild light in Thalia's eyes. She yanked back on the wheel, and I held on this time. As we zoomed up, I could see through the back window that the fires in the town were being snuffed out by the sudden blast of cold.

"There!" Apollo pointed. "Long Island, dead ahead. Let's slow down, dear. 'Dead' is only an expression."

Thalia was thundering toward the coastline of northern Long Island. There was Camp Half-Blood: the valley, the woods, the beach. I could see the dining pavilion and cabins and the amphitheater.

"I'm under control," Thalia muttered. "I'm under control." Complete and utter bullshit...

We were only a few hundred yards away now.

"Brake," Apollo said.

"I can do this."

"BRAKE!"

Thalia slammed her foot on the brake, and the sun bus pitched forward at a forty-five-degree angle, slamming into the Camp Half-Blood canoe lake with a huge FLOOOOOOSH! Steam billowed up, sending several frightened naiads scrambling out of the water with half-woven wicker baskets.

The bus bobbed to the surface, along with a couple of capsized, half-melted canoes.

"Well," said Apollo with a brave smile. "You were right, my dear. You had everything under control! Let's go see if we boiled anyone important, shall we?"

When I was about to walk out, Apollo grabbed my shoulder. "What do you want."

"Well I'm going to bless you, and your going to need it with you angering Artemis when you are within 100 meters of her. I'm going to bless you/ make you my champion. You will be able to heal using sunlight, tell time using the sun and moon, better at archery, better perception, and can interpret prophecies better," Apollo said and blessed me, and we caught up with everyone else.

* * *

**Look I know this chapter was probably boring, but Like I said constructive criticism please. Also tell me which pairing, remember no Perdite, or Pertemis. Thanks and bye!**


	5. Camp Half-Blood(Not Racist at all)

**I only own OCs, and some plot, the Rest is Rick Riordan's. ****0 **∞ **Ω Δ**

* * *

I'd never seen Camp Half-Blood ever, but I was slightly surprised.

Poseidon told me the camp has the ultimate magic climate control. Nothing gets inside the borders unless the director, Mr. D(Dionysus), wants it to. Frost covered the chariot track and the strawberry fields. The cabins were decorated with tiny flickering lights, like Christmas lights, except they seemed to be balls of real fire. More lights glowed in the woods, and some in the Attic of the Big House.

"Whoa," Nico said as he climbed off the bus. "Is that a climbing wall?"

"Looks like it," I said, this kid forgets I'm just as new to this.

"Why is there lava pouring down it?"

"Probably for extra challenge." I guessed and shrugged

"Tell Chiron we will be in Cabin Eight. Hunters, follow me." Zoe said.

"I'll show you the way," Grover offered.

"We know the way."

"Oh, really, it's no trouble. It's easy to get lost here, if you don't"—he tripped over a canoe and came up still talking—"like my old daddy goat used to say! Come on!"

Zoe rolled her eyes, but I guess she figured there was no getting rid of Grover. The Hunters shouldered their packs and their bows and headed off toward the cabins. As Bianca di Angelo was leaving, she leaned over and whispered something in her brothers ear. She looked at him for an answer, but Nico just scowled and turned away.

"Take care, sweethearts!" Apollo called after the Hunters. He winked at me. "Watch out for those prophecies, Percy. I'll see you soon."

"What do you mean?" Gods can be so annoying, and Alexander looked a bit annoyed he was ignored. He probably knows more about this camp than me...

Instead of answering, he hopped back in the bus. "Later, Thalia," he called. "And, uh, be good!"

He gave her a wicked smile, as if he knew something she didn't. Then he closed the doors and revved the engine. I turned aside as the sun chariot took off in a blast of heat. When I looked back, the lake was steaming. A red Maserati soared over the woods, glowing brighter and climbing higher until it disappeared in a ray of sunlight.

Nico was still looking grumpy. I wondered how his sister told him.

"Who's Chiron?" he asked. "I don't have his figurine."

"The activities director," I said(Poseidon tells me a lot).

"If those Hunter girls don't like him," Nico grumbled, "that's good enough for me. Let's go." Yeah, definitely Hades.

The second thing that surprised me about camp was how empty it was. I mean, I knew most half-bloods only trained during the summer. Just the year-rounders would be here—the ones who didn't have homes to go to, or would get attacked by monsters too much if they left. But there didn't even seem to be many of them, either.

I spotted A big burly kid stoking the forge(So probably Hephaestus) outside the camp armory. Two brothers, who looked like they cause lots of mischief(Probably Hermes), were picking the lock on the camp store. A few kids who looked like pigs(Ares definitely) were having a snowball fight with the wood nymphs at the edge of the forest. That was about it.

The Big House was decorated with strings of red and yellow fireballs that warmed the porch but didn't seem to catch anything on fire. Inside, flames crackled in the hearth. The air smelled like hot chocolate. Dionysus, and Chiron were playing a quiet game of cards in the parlor.

Chiron's brown beard was shaggy, he wore a fuzzy sweater with a hoofprint design on it, and he had a blanket on his lap that almost hid his wheelchair.

He smiled when he saw us. "Alex! Thalia! Ah, and this must be—"

"Nico di Angelo," I said. "He and his sister are half-bloods."

Chiron breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at me and my sister. "Who are you two?" He asked, curious.

"I'm a clear-sighted mortal blessed by Apollo, and am able to anger Artemis being within 100 meters of her, and that's my sister. I'll talk to you later though."

He nodded, then looked at Alex's, and Thalia's faces, his smile melted. "What's wrong? And where is Annabeth?"

"Oh, dear," Dionysus said in a bored voice, "Not another one lost."

I'd been trying not to pay attention to Dionysus, but he was kind of hard to ignore in his neon orange leopard-skin warm-up suit and his purple running shoes.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked. "Who else is lost?"

Just then, Grover trotted into the room, grinning like crazy. He had a black eye and red lines on his face that looked like a slap mark. "The Hunters are all moved in!"

Chiron frowned. "The Hunters, eh? I see we have much to talk about." He glanced at Nico. "Grover, perhaps you should take our young friend to the den and show him our orientation film, and the girl too." My sister looked at me, but I just shrugged. She looked at me angrily, and incredulously since I didn't have to.

"But… Oh, right. Yes, sir."

"Orientation film?" Nico asked. "Is it G or PG? 'Cause Bianca is kinda strict—"

"It's PG-13," Grover said.

"Cool!" Nico happily followed him out of the room.

"Now," Chiron said to Thalia, me, and Thalia, "perhaps you two should sit down and tell us the whole story."

When we were done, Chiron turned to Mr. D. "We should launch a search for Annabeth immediately. I also fear what Artemis is hunting."

"I'll go," Thalia and Alex said at the same time.

Dionysus sniffed. "Certainly not!"

Thalia and Alex both started complaining, but Dionysus held up his hand. He had that purplish angry fire in his eyes that usually meant something bad and godly was going to happen if they didn't shut up.

"From what you have told me," Dionysus said, "we have broken even on this escapade. We have, ah, regrettably lost Annie Bell—"

"Annabeth," Alex snapped. I don't know why, he seemed a bit _protective_, I might tease him later about that.

"Yes, yes," he said. "And you procured a small annoying boy to replace her. So I see no point risking further half-bloods on a ridiculous rescue. The possibility is very great that this Annie girl is dead."

I wanted to strangle Dionysus. How he could be so uncaring? I remember that Poseidon said Mr. D was protective of his only two children, "What if it was your child?" I asked.

Mr. D looked at me, "What do you mean?"

"Would you just let your own child just be captured? Especially when you can easily send some other campers to look for him, or do you care about your children as much as the rest of the demigods in this camp?" I knew I had him, because he didn't retort or anything.

"Annabeth may be alive," Chiron said stopping the situation to escalate further, however his upbeat mood seemed strained. He'd practically raised Annabeth all those years she was a year-round camper, before she'd given living with her dad and stepmom a second try. "She's very bright. If… if our enemies have her, she will try to play for time. She may even pretend to cooperate."

"That's right," Thalia said. "Luke would want her alive."

"In which case" said Mr. D, "I'm afraid she will have to be smart enough to escape on her own."

Alex got up from the table.

"Alex." Chiron's tone was full of warning. In the back of my mind, I knew Dionysus was not somebody to mess with. Even if he looked like a fat, procrastinating, criticizing cherub, he was still a god. But Alex seemed not to care, I guess he was a bit arrogant, and impulsive, which is not a good combination.

"You're glad to lose another camper," He spat. "You'd like it if we all disappeared!"

Dionysus stifled a yawn. "You have a point?" It was no point, he does care but doesn't like heroes as much as Artemis.

"Yeah," Alexander growled. "Just because you were sent here as a punishment doesn't mean you have to be a lazy jerk! This is your civilization, too. Maybe you could try helping out a little!"

For a second, there was no sound except the crackle of the wood crackling as it burned. The light reflected in Mr. D's eyes, giving him a sinister look. He opened his mouth to say something—probably a curse that would make Alex go insane—when Nico burst into the room, followed by Grover.

"SO COOL!" Nico yelled, holding his hands out to Chiron. "You're… you're a centaur!"

Chiron managed a nervous smile. "Yes, Mr. di Angelo, if you please. Though, I prefer to stay in human form in this wheelchair for, ah, first encounters."

"And, whoa!" He looked at Dionysus. "You're the wine dude? No way!"

Dionysus repeated turned his eyes away from Alex and gave Nico a look of hate. "The wine dude?"

"Dionysus, right? Oh, wow! I've got your figurine."

"My figurine," Dionysus repeated

"In my game, Mythomagic. And a holofoil card, too! And even though you've only got like five hundred attack points and everybody thinks you're the lamest god card, I totally think your powers are sweet!"

"Ah." Dionysus seemed truly perplexed, which probably saved Alex's life. "Well, that's… gratifying."

"Percy," Chiron said quickly, "you and Thalia go down to the cabins. Inform the campers we'll be playing capture the flag tomorrow evening."

"Capture the flag?" Alex and I asked, Alex glared at me, then looked back at Chiron confused.

"It is a tradition," Chiron said. "A friendly match, whenever the Hunters visit."

"Yeah," Thalia muttered. "I bet it's real friendly." she added with distaste

Chiron jerked his head toward Dionysus, who was still frowning as Nico talked about how many defense points all the gods had in his game. "Run along now," Chiron told us.

"Oh, right," Thalia said. "Come on, Alex."

She hauled Alex, and I followed them out of the Big House before Dionysus could remember that he wanted to kill Alex, and probably me too.

"You've already got Ares on your bad side," Thalia reminded Alex as they trudged toward the cabins. "You need another immortal enemy?"

What did the kid do to get Ares mad at him?"

"Sorry," He said. "I couldn't help it. It's just so unfair."

She stopped by the armory and looked out across the valley, toward the top of Half-Blood Hill. Her pine tree was still there, the Golden Fleece glittering in its lowest branch. The tree's magic still protected the borders of camp, but it no longer used Thalia's spirit for power.

"Alex, everything is unfair," Thalia muttered. "Sometimes I wish…"

She didn't finish, but her tone was so sad I felt sorry for her. With her ragged black hair and her black punk clothes, an old wool overcoat wrapped around her, she looked like some kind of huge raven, completely out of place in the white landscape. I took this time to stand next to them, which they barely glanced at me.

"We'll get Annabeth back," Alex promised. "I just don't know how yet."

"First I found out that Luke is lost," she said. "Now Annabeth—"

"Don't think like that."

"You're right." She straightened up. "We'll find a way."

Over at the basketball court, a few of the Hunters were shooting hoops. One of them was arguing with an Ares looking guy. The Ares guy had his hand on his sword and the Hunter girl looked like she was going to exchange her basketball for a bow and arrow any second.

"I'll break that up," Thalia said. "You circulate around the cabins. Tell everybody about capture the flag tomorrow."

"I can break the fight up, and I'll let you two be," I said, and jogged to the court to break the fight up, and probably get harmed. However, I need to vent.

When I got over to the court the Ares kid angrily said, "What'ya doin' kid? Never seen you here before."

"To break up a fight. Why else?" I said calmly.

"I can handle myself, _boy._" the Huntress said venomously.

"I never said anything about either being weak, but don't want to drag this"-I gestured towards the Ares kid-"fat-ass pig to the infirmary," I countered.

"Who are ya callin' a fat-ass pig?!" the Ares kid yelled angrily

"Someone who can't speak correctly." By now the Hunter already left muttering something about stupid boys.

"AAAARRGH!" The Ares kid screamed and charged with his sword.

The kid wasn't thinking properly, and he swung his sword down hard, and I just stepped to the side and kicked him in the side making him stumble. While he was off balance, I summoned one of my daggers, and hit his forearm, close to his sword hand, which made him loosen his grip causing him to drop his sword. He was still off balance and so I kicked him in his leg knocking him down, his back on the ground.

I stepped on his chest, and elongated seismos(σεισμός) into a harpe, lifting his chin with the blade, "Yield!" I told him, letting some malice seep into my voice, and glared.

"Never!" He wheezed. There was a crowd around us now, hunters, and campers. The Ares kid tried in vain to move my foot, which I only pressed down harder.

"Fine!" I snarled, summoned my trident, which I named Cicero(Frost in Latin), as it can freeze things if I want it to, and stabbed it into the ground letting it freeze the ground a bit to keep it firmly in there. Two of the trident's spike were on each side of his neck leaving him unable to move, as when he tried to pry it of his hands almost got frostbite. I stepped off him and left him there. I turned toward the crowd, and asked with my lopsided grin, "Anyone else want to fight!?"

Zoe, the lieutenant of the Hunt stepped forward, "I would like to fight thee." She said. I was so screwed, shit, shit, shit!

"One second." I said keeping my composure, I walked over to the Ares kid, pulled my trident out of the ground, and let him run.

"Are thou ready?" Zoe asked, summoning her silver bow.

"Yes," I said, elongated my own black bow from it's key chain size form to a longbow, with the two tips on the ends. I intended to use it as best as possible. "Are powers allowed?"

"I thought thee were mortal," She said, perplexed.

"Yes, but you should know a god can bless a mortal."

"Sure, now enough talk, let's fight!"

She started firing around 150 arrows per minute, and I was forced to use my bow as a defensive tool, and rolled as I summoned Cicero, and threw it at her making her sidestep it, as it landed next to her.

"Thee will have to try better than that Jackson!" She taunted, but I just smirked. It was never my intention to hit her, but freeze the ground. I summoned my daggers, and elongated it, and have it bend to form a 90 degree angle with the blade, and hilt. I made the blade rotate to make a shield pretty much. By now, the ice has circled around Zoe, so I summoned my trident back to its pendant form on my necklace. She seems to have slowed down her firing to 100 arrows per second, so that meant she was getting tired, but so was I. Screw it! I threw my trident at her, making her stop firing, and jump. She landed on the ice, and was thrown off balance. I was practically skating, and fired a blunt arrow at her ankle making her fall. But, before her head hit the ice, Zoe rolled, and summoned her hunting knives. I minimized my boy, and put it back in my bag, summoning my daggers too. It was now a melee battle.

"Maybe you have to try harder!" I taunted. She charged me, gracefully like a figure skater. I used the melted water to condense, and trip her-which worked- and I elongated my daggers to one foot long(30 cm) while skating to her. She rolled back up with her hunting knives, and slashed at my abdomen, which I locked it with my dagger at the guards, twisted hers until she dropped it, but I got kneed in my lower abdomen, and hit down into the cold ice, my daggers hit out of my hands. Zoe straddled my chest, and had both hunting knives at my throat like an X shape, with my arms lying at my sides.

"Do thee yield?" She asked. I knew in a real battle I would be dead, but this was until someone yields, and I took my hellhound fang, and pressed it against her back.

"Do you?" I countered.

"How about a draw?" she compromised.

"Sure, and can you please get off me?" Zoe blushed and complied, even lending me a hand to get up.

"Thee fought well, for a boy." That was probably the closest thing to a compliment I'd get. Everyone dispersed for whatever, and Zoe went back too the Hunters.

* * *

**Love it? Okay? Could be better? Terrible? Oh, and please use CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, or** _**POSITIVE/NICE/NOT RUDE** _**criticism. But, if a mistake is really bad, get your point across!**


	6. AN Please read

**A/N um... I'm discontinuing this because I don't know where to go from here. The rewrite will be called Prodigy.**


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